Tjoet Njak Dien (Cut
Nyak Dhien)
1848 – 1908
1848 – 1908
Tjoet Njak Dien did not die in her own land or amongst her own people. She died as
"Ibu Perbu," which means "The Queen", a name
given to her by the local people in Sumedang,
We know
from other modern studies, such as "The Rope of God" by Siegel
(1969), how strong the spirit of Jihad is amongst the Achehnese. However, what
that book does not reveal, is how the women are ready to join and lead in Jihad
also. These are other heroine’s names that we are familiar with and our
apologies for any others who have not been mentioned.
1.
Tjoet Meutiah
2.
Tjoet Gambang (Kambang)
3.
Keumala Malahajati
Dien, who
was active in writing and delivering speeches on the beauty of Jihad, was born
in 1848 into Achehnese nobility. Her father, Teuku Nanta Setia was an Uleebalang
(commander, or literally, Sultan’s military officer) of VI Mukim of the Sagi
XXV Military District. Nanta Setia’s ancestor was Panglima Nanta (Chief
Commander), a descendant from Sultanah Tajjul Alam, an Achehnese
ambassador (also a woman) for Pagaruyung Sultanate in West
Sumatra . Dien’s mother was also from an Uleebalang family, the
Uleebalang of Lampagar.
Having
married young (in 1862), to Teuku Ibrahim Lamnga, a son of Uleebalang
of Lam Nga XIII, Dien soon realised, as the daughter and the wife of
commanders of Army divisions, that she would have to farewell them when war
broke out against the Dutch.
Her two
most beloved left her on March 22nd 1873, to fight Jihad and
succeeded expelling the Dutch from Acheh. Even the Achehnese army succeeded in
killing the Dutch Army commander, General Kohler, in the battle to defend
Kutaraja, the Achehnese capital. She was happy to see them both back
safe.
On
December 11th 1873, the Dutch invaded Acheh again, lead by General
Van Switten. They had returned with a vengeance and 7,000 well-equipped
infantrymen who managed to break the Achehnese line, on December 22nd
1873. Dien was parted from her husband and father for a longer period, this
time.
This
second invasion was better prepared and better planned than the first invasion.
The Dutch advanced carefully and in an orderly manner, until succeeding in
capturing the capital. The Sultan was forced to leave the capital and began the
guerilla war against the Dutch. Dien, this time, followed her father and her
husband into the jungle. She sacrificed everything, her jewelry, her
comfortable life and her health.
Tragically,
during the guerilla war, Nanta Setia, (her father) and Ibrahim Lamnga
(her husband), were attacked heavily, surrounded and after fierce fighting,
both were killed. This battle is known as the "Battle
Participating
directly, as she was, in Jihad, Tjoet Nyak Dien took over both her late
husband’s and father’s army commands and led them in guerilla warfare from the
jungle. She re-built these units and led them successfully. A far cry, from
living like a princess, in VI Mukim. This is significant in the history of
Muslimahs and which led to her eventual recognition as a National Heroine of Indonesia
While
leading these guerilla army units, she met another army commander from
Meulaboh, West Acheh , by the name of Teuku
Umar, who was one of Dien’s relatives. He was fascinated with her refusal
to mourn her husband and father, because she said she should be happy that her
two most beloved had reached the most noble status and died as a Shaheed in
Jihad.
They soon
married and together led the two armies into a series of successful assault
missions. Dien had one daughter with him whose name was Tjoet Gambang. Tjoet
Gambang was to follow her Mother’s example. Some years later, after the
destruction of Dien’s army, Tjoet Gambang married Teungku Di Buket,
son of the most famous Ulama and guerilla leader, Teungku Cik Di Tiro.
It is commonly thought that Tjoet Gambang died a martyr in 1910, two
years after her Mother’s death in exile.
Around
1875 Teuku Umar (her husband) made a strategic move, seen as a betrayal
by those unaware at the time. Both of them came out of the jungle and
surrendered to the Dutch.
Their
clever ploy was to lie to the Dutch, so when they came out of the jungle they
said. Quote: "they realized they had done wrong so they wanted to re-pay
the Dutch by helping them destroy the Achehnese resistance." Un-quote.
The Dutch
were very pleased that such dangerous enemies were willing to help them. In
gratitude, they decorated her husband with a Medal of Honor and called him
"Teuku Johan Pahlawan", which means the greatest hero. They
also made her husband commander in chief of a Dutch army unit with full
authority.
They kept
their plan a secret, even though they were continuously accused of being
traitors by their own people. Their intention was to study Dutch strategy
,while slowly replacing as many as they could of the Dutchmen in the unit with
Achehnese men. These Achehnese men were from their guerilla army units. When
the numbers of Achehnese in this army were sufficient, Dien’s husband proposed
a false plan to the Dutch, claiming that he wanted to attack an Achehnese base.
Dien and
her husband left with all of the troops and the Dutch heavy equipment, weapons
and ammunition, never to return.
This
raised the ire of the Dutch and huge operations were launched to capture both
Dien and her husband Umar. The guerilla army, however, were now armed with the
best equipment stolen from the Dutch and returned its identity to the strategic
guerilla army. They began to heavily attack the Dutch while General Van Switten
was replaced, humiliated and disgraced. His replacement, General Pel, was
quickly killed and the Dutch army was in chaos for the first time.
Dien and
Umar applied repeated pressure on occupied Banda Acheh (Kutaraja) and Meulaboh
(her husband’s former base) and the Dutch had to continuously replace its
Generals. The mighty guerilla army that was created, trained and led by this
formidable pair, was successful.
Brutal and
bloody massacres of men, women and children in innocent villages took place,
when the inhumane General Van Der Heyden engaged the "De Marsose"
units. They were so savage that they were almost impossible to defeat. Most of
the troops of "De Marsose" were Christian Ambonese. They destroyed
everything in their path, including property and villages, as well as the
people. These units caused even the Dutch soldiers to feel sympathy for the
Achehnese, and eventually, Van Der Heyden dissolved the "De Marsose"
units. These events may, however have paved the way for the following General’s
success, as many people who were not involved in Jihad had lost their lives or
their loved ones lives, their property or indeed all of their loved ones and
property. Fear and grief may have then weakened the remaining broader
population.
General
van Heutz exploited that fear and began to bribe local Achehnese to spy on the
rebel army and act as informants. It wasn’t long before the Dutch soldiers
found Dien’s husband and he was killed on Umar’s attack mission to Meulaboh on
February 11th 1899. It was known as a betrayal by the informant
named Teuku Leubeh.
When Tjoet
Gamgang (her daughter) heard of her father’s death she began to cry and was
slapped by her Mother (Dien) who then hugged her and Dien is quoted as having
said:
Quote: As
Achehnese women, we must not shed tears for anyone who becomes a Shaheed" Unquote.
(A Shaheed is one who dies in Jihad)
Tjoet Njak
Dien’s husband, Teuku Umar’s death, left Dien alone again to lead the
rebel army. Weakened then by advancing age, Dien, with her army, retreated
further into the jungle. Trying not to mourn over her late husband, Dien
continued to lead this rebel army, assisted by her army officers, such as Pang
Laot Ali and Pang Karim. This army fought until its final
destruction in 1901 and it consisted of men and women. Pang Laot Ali who
felt sorry for Dien’s condition, hoped that the Dutch might give medical
treatment for her. He deserted to the Dutch and bought the Dutch army into
Dien’s camp in Beutong Le Sageu. They were completely caught by surprise and
fought to the last man and woman except for Gambang and Dien. Pang
Karim was said to be the last man to defend Dien with his sword until his
death. Only due to her blindness was Dien captured and even then she held a
rencong (a traditional Achehnese dagger) in her hand trying to fight the enemy.
Her daughter Gambang, however escaped deep into the jungle, where it is
known that she continued the resistance in the spirit of Jihad as her Mother
and Father had done. There is little information to be found about Tjoet
Gambang. Our humble apologies for being unable to provide more information
than this at this time.
Exiled by
the Dutch, Dien’s arrival in Sumedang in her worn out clothes and accompanied
by other Achehnese political prisoners, naturally drew the attention of the
Regent Suriaatmaja as a faithful Muslimah. The male prisoners demonstrated
obvious respect to this small, old lady, but the Dutch soldiers were forbidden to
reveal the identities of the captives. See insert photograph, page 1.
Due to
their obvious deep religious nature, especially Tjoet Njak Dien, they were
placed with the local Ulama, named Ilyas. Ulama Ilyas quickly
realised that his guest, who could not speak their language nor them hers, was
indeed a scholar in Islam and became known as "Ibu Perbu"(The
Queen). Her sound Islamic knowledge and her ability to recite Al-Quran
beautifully earned her the invitation to instruct on Islam.
"Ibu
Perbu "or Tjoet Njak Dien taught Al-Quran in Sumedang, West
Java , until her death on November 8th 1908. She was
buried as "Ibu Perbu" in the cemetary of Sumedang’s nobility
in Gunung Puyuh, in the outskirts of Sumedang.
By 1960,
those Sumedang locals who could have recollected who "Ibu Perbu"was,
had passed away. However, information came from the Dutch Government based on
official letters in "Nederland
Indische", written by Kolonial Verslag, that Tjoet Njak Dien,
rebel leader from Acheh Province , had been placed in exile in Sumedang, West Java . There had only ever been one Achehnese female
political prisoner sent to Sumedang. It was realized then, that"Ibu
Perbu"was in fact Tjoet Njak Dien, "The Queen of Jihad"
and was then recognized by President Sukarno as a National Heroine.
A small Achehnese Mosque (meunasah)
was built near the cemetery in her memory.
 1848 – 1908){kind=link}
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